(Image: Avi Chatterjee)
Several years ago, during a horse-driven buggy ride through the historic part of Charleston, South Carolina in US, I started to become severely ill with eyes swollen and itching, nose running along with extreme trouble in breathing. A quick trip to the emergency room of a local hospital revealed that I belong to a minority group of world population who are severely allergic to horse dandruffs. After my treatment, I was advised to stay away from horses, anywhere in the world. So, recently when an opportunity arose for an overnight camping trip in Western Sahara in Morocco that would involve a round-trip camel-ride, my first reaction was “Am I allergic to camels also?” There was no immediate way to find out that information. I thought of going to the local zoo and stand next to the camel-gazing area but threw out the idea, being too silly. After my arrival in Morocco, I decided to take a chance knowing very well no ER would exist in the desert. On scheduled day, my travel guide in the country drove me to the take-off point where rest of the campers with the trip guide gathered as well as a number of camels sitting on the sand. When my turn came, the trip guide helped me to climb the camel and place myself comfortably for a smooth ride. Soon our caravan started in the glorious light of the sun-set of Western Sahara, casting our shadows on the nearby sand dunes, while a cool desert breeze started to blow. Amidst the excitement of this novel experience, it suddenly occurred to me that I was just doing fine with no sign of any severe camel-allergy requiring me to abandon my trip. The rest of the trip went smooth with an unforgettable experience of camping overnight in a tent in Saharan desert. So, the lesson learned was that I could be allergic to horses, but not to camels. But, that brought a different kind of sadness that I do not belong to an even smaller portion of world population who are allergic to both animals, as if it would have been a matter of pride! On the other hand, I am now all set to cross the entire Sahara on a camel back.
(Image: Avi Chatterjee) Comments are closed.
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